Every year London’s theatre critics make their selections of the best London and West End Shows to see in the coming 12 months.
So here’s our round-up of what the critic’s think are the hottest new shows of 2024, from big-name musicals to comedy, drama and entertainment.
We have also aggregated their lists into one overall HOT LIST 2024. Out in front is Matt Smith starring in An Enemy of the People at the Duke of York’s Theatre with seven mentions; followed by new Sheridan Smith project Opening Night A New Musical at the Gielgud Theatre, Jez Butterworth’s new play The Hills of California at the Harold Pinter Theatre, Michael Sheen in Nye at the National Theatre, and Ian McKellen in Player Kings at the Noel Coward Theatre – each with six mentions; plus five mentions for Live Aid musical Just for One Day at The Old Vic, The Human Body at the Donmar Warehouse, Sarah Jessica Parker in Plaza Suite at the Savoy Theatre, Sarah Snook in The Picture of Dorian Gray at the Theatre Royal Haymarket, and Brian Cox in Long Day’s Journey into Night at the Wyndham’s Theatre.
This Hot List 2024 – Critic’s Picks will be updated as the critics publish their lists.
Also check out our All Shows playing in London in 2024.
Hot List 2024 – Best of the Best Theatre
An A to Z aggregated list of all shows mentioned two or more times (Number of mentions in brackets)
- A View from the Bridge, Theatre Royal Bath (2)
- An Enemy of the People, Duke of York’s Theatre London (7)
- Hello, Dolly!, London Palladium London (2)
- Just for One Day, The Old Vic Theatre London (5)
- London Tide, National Theatre London (2)
- Long Day’s Journey Into Night, Wyndham’s Theatre London (5)
- Macbeth, Dock X London (2)
- Mean Girls, Savoy Theatre London (2)
- MJ the Musical, Prince Edward Theatre London (3)
- Nye, National Theatre London (6)
- Opening Night A New Musical, Gielgud Theatre London (6)
- Player Kings, Noel Coward Theatre London (6)
- Plaza Suite, Savoy Theatre London (5)
- Spirited Away, London Coliseum London (4)
- Starter for Ten, Bristol Old Vic Theare (2)
- The Devil Wears Prada, Dominion Theatre London (4)
- The Hills of California, Harold Pinter Theatre London (6)
- The Human Body, Donmar Warehouse London (5)
- The Picture of Dorian Gray, Theatre Royal Haymarket London (5)
Arifa Akbar, The Guardian
- The Frogs, Kiln Theatre London, and touring
- Blue Beard, Theatre Royal Bath & touring
- An Enemy of the People, Duke of York’s Theatre London
- A View from the Bridge, Theatre Royal Bath
- Minority Report, Lyric Hammersmith London & touring
- The Human Body, Donmar Warehouse London
- Starter for Ten, Bristol Old Vic Theare
- Player Kings, Noel Coward Theatre London
- Opening Night A New Musical, Gielgud Theatre London
- Spirited Away, London Coliseum London
- Maggie and Me, Tron Glasgow & touring
- The Women of Llanrumney, Sherman Theatre Cardiff
- The Devil Wears Prada, Dominion Theatre London
More reviews from Arifa Akbar >
Susannah Clapp, The Observer
- Plaza Suite, Savoy Theatre London
- Nye, National Theatre London
- The Picture of Dorian Gray, Theatre Royal Haymarket London
- An Enemy of the People, Duke of York’s Theatre London
- Long Day’s Journey into Night, Wyndham’s Theatre London
More reviews from Susannah Clapp >
Dominic Cavendish, The Telegraph
- The Unfriend, Wyndham’s Theatre London
- The Most Precious of Goods, Marylebone Theatre London
- Plaza Suite, Savoy Theatre London
- The King and I, Dominion Theatre London
- A Mirror, Trafalgar Theatre London
- Metamorphosis, Lyric Hammersmith London
- The Hills of California, Harold Pinter Theatre London
- Just for One Day, The Old Vic Theatre London
- The Picture of Dorian Gray, Theatre Royal Haymarket London
- Double Feature, Hampstead Theatre London
- An Enemy of the People, Duke of York’s Theatre London
- Hadestown, Lyric Theatre London
- The Human Body, Donmar Warehouse London
- A Leap in the Dark, New Vic Theatre Newcastle under Lyme
- Standing at the Sky’s Edge, Gillian Lynne Theatre London
- Nye, National Theatre London
- Opening Night, Gielgud Theatre London
Reviews by Dominic Cavendish >
Clive Davis, The Times
- Just for One Day, The Old Vic Theatre London
- Nye, National Theatre London
- The Lonely Londoners, Jermyn Street Theatre London
- Come from Away, UK Tour
- The Crucible, Crucible Theatre Sheffield
- Opening Night, Gielgud Theatre London
- Player Kings, Noël Coward Theatre London
- London Tide, National Theatre London
- Spirited Away, London Coliseum London
- Withnail and I, Birmingham Rep
- Hello, Dolly!, London Palladium London
Jan Dalley, Financial Times
- Macbeth, Donmar Warehouse London
- Macbeth, Dock X London
- Long Day’s Journey Into Night, Wyndham’s Theatre London
- The Picture of Dorian Gray, Theatre Royal Haymarket London
- Plaza Suite, Savoy Theatre London
- The Hills of California, Harold Pinter Theatre London
Andrzej Lukowski, TimeOut
- Plaza Suite, Savoy Theatre London
- The Picture of Dorian Gray, Theatre Royal Haymarket London
- An Enemy of the People, Duke of York’s Theatre London
- Macbeth, Dock X London
- Just for One Day, The Old Vic Theatre London
- The Hills of California, Harold Pinter Theatre London
- Nye, National Theatre London
- Opening Night, Gielgud Theatre London
- MJ the Musical, Prince Edward Theatre London
- Long Day’s Journey Into Night, Wyndham’s Theatre London
- Player Kings, Noel Coward Theatre London
- London Tide, National Theatre London
- Spirited Away, London Coliseum London
- Mean Girls, Savoy Theatre London
- Hello Dolly, London Palladium London
- The Devil Wears Prada, Dominion Theatre London
Jessie Thompson, The Independent
- Plaza Suite, Savoy Theatre London
- Just For One Day, The Old Vic Theatre London
- The Hills of California, Harold Pinter Theatre London
- The Picture of Dorian Gray, Theatre Royal Haymarket London
- An Enemy of the People, Duke of York’s Theatre London
- The Human Body, Donmar Warehouse London
- A View From The Bridge, Theatre Royal Bath
- Nye, National Theatre London
- Starter for Ten, Bristol Old Vic
- Player Kings, Noel Coward Theatre London
- Opening Night, Gielgud Theatre London
- MJ the Musical, Prince Edward Theatre London
- Long Day’s Journey Into Night, Wyndham’s Theatre London
- Spirited Away, London Coliseum London
- Mean Girls, Savoy Theatre London
- The Devil Wears Prada, Dominion Theatre London
- Fangirls, Lyric Hammersmith Theatre London
- Dr Strangelove, Noel Coward Theatre London
David Benedict, The Stage
- Punch, Nottingham Playhouse
- Minority Report, Nottingham Playhouse and Lyric Hammersmith London
- & Juliet, Touring
- Dear Evan Hansen, Touring
- Come from Away, Touring
- Only Fools and Horses The Musical, Touring
- The Artist, Theatre Royal Plymouth
- The Devil Wears Prada, Dominion Theatre London
- The Hills of California, Harold Pinter Theatre London
- Just For One Day, The Old Vic London
- Starlight Express, Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre London
- An Enemy of the People, Duke of York’s Theatre London
- Player Kings, Noel Coward Theatre London
- Dear Octopus, National Theatre London
- The Human Body, Donmar Warehouse London
Sarah Crompton, Whatsonstage
- The Hills of California, Harold Pinter Theatre London
- An Enemy of the People, Duke of York’s Theatre London
- Dear Octopus, National Theatre London
- The Human Body, Donmar Warehouse London
- Nye, National Theatre London
- MJ The Musical, Prince Edward Theatre London
- Opening Night A New Musical, Gielgud Theatre London
- Long Day’s Journey Into Night, Wyndham’s Theatre London
- Player Kings, Noel Coward Theatre London
- Red Pitch, @sohoplace Theatre London
- The Cherry Orchard, Donmar Warehouse London
- Waiting for Godot, Theatre Royal Haymarket London
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